1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input apparatus such as a 3-dimensional operation pointing device, a 3-dimensional operation remote controller, and a cellular phone, a control apparatus capable of receiving a signal from the input apparatus, and a control method for an input apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pointing devices, particularly a mouse and a touchpad, are used as controllers for GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) widely used in PCs (Personal Computers).
Not just as HIs (Human Interfaces) of PCs of the related art, the GUIs are now starting to be used as interfaces for AV equipment used in living rooms with televisions as image media. Examples of the HI of this type include a cross media bar, an EPG, an IP-TV, and Windows Media Center.
As the HIs currently in wide use, there are remote controllers with arrow keys as extensions of remote controllers for AV equipment of the related art, for controlling the GUIs, but the operability thereof is poor since it is difficult to perform a free cursor operation.
To solve such a problem, a wireless mouse or the like may be used, but a table or the like to place the mouse may become necessary for operating the mouse.
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. Hei 6-7371 (claims 1 and 2) (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses “a 3-dimensional computer input apparatus performing 3-dimensional inputs to a computer, characterized by comprising: a direction sensing means for sensing changes in directions in space along three rotation axes (pitch, roll, and yaw); a displacement sensing means for sensing displacements along axes of at least a two-dimensional coordinate system out of an XYZ coordinate system set in a main body of the 3-dimensional computer input apparatus; and an electronic circuit connected to an input port of the computer, to convert output signals of the direction sensing means and the displacement sensing means so that the signals can be processed by the computer, and in that the direction sensing means is constituted of three gyroscopes corresponding to the three rotation axes (pitch, roll, and yaw), respectively, and the displacement sensing means is constituted of at least two acceleration sensors each corresponding to any of the XYZ axes”. Accordingly, unlike the mouse, a table or the like becomes unnecessary, and operations in the air become possible.
In the past, a 3-dimensional mouse capable of being operated in the air has calculated a movement amount of a cursor on a PC (Personal Computer) screen from a complex movement of a hand that moves 3-dimensionally. Therefore, the 3-dimensional mouse may need to be equipped with sensors such as an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor for detecting the hand movement (Patent Document 1).